Combination toy land and water vehicle



Dec. 25, 1956 c, A. GIBSON, JR., ETAL 2,775,052

COMBINATION TOY L ANO AND WATER VEHICLE Filed Aug. s. 195s 2 -snets-'sheet 1 Dec. 25, 1956 c. A. GIBSON, JR., x-:TAL 2,775,062

COMBINATION Toy LAND AND WATER VEHICLE Filed Aug. s, 195s .2 Sheets-shaet 2 T .Ham l 7 M56 INVENToRs.

opweg United States Patent i COMBINATION TOY LAND AND WATER VEHICLE Carl A. Gibson, Ir., and Marvin I. Glass, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 371,926

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-96) This invention relates to a toy combination land and water vehicle.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a self-propelled toy which may be operated on any land or floor surface, as well as in the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy vehicle which may be propelled on a floor surface, vas well as in the water and whose action is fascinating and entertaining to the child.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresse-s.

In the drawings, y

Fig. l is a top plan view of this invention, v

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the longitudinal center of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a detail `sectional view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view 'taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the upper casing and the operating parts looking upwardly from the bottom,

Fig. 6 is an inside view of the lower casing or hull,

Fig. 7 is 'a plan view `of the drive 'and wind-up mechanism,

Fig. 8 is a top plan View partly in section of the drive and wind-up mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

The body or casing generally indicated at 10 is formed of an upper Isection 12 and a lower section 14, both of which are hollow yand which are suitably secured together by cement or other means to contain therewithin the operating parts for propelling the toy as will be described. The body is preferably molded of plastic. The lower section is shaped to form in appearance the hull of a boat having a bow 16 and 4a stern 18. The bottom of the lower casing adjacent the stern is shaped to form a hollow concave recess 20 within which is rotatably supported 4a roller 22. The roller 22 is flxedly supported on a shaft 24 whose ends are rotatably secured as at 26 in the side walls of the recess 20. The roller extends below the bottom of the hull and the bottom of the roller is on `the same plane as the bottom of the paddle wheels presently to be described. The roller forms a third wheel when said toy is used as a land or surface toy. Molded integrally with the upper section are four bosses 28, each having projecting pins 30. The operating parts, including the windup mechanism, are secured to the upper section through said bosses land same will now be described.

A U-shaped metal frame generally indicated at 32 is provided with an intermediate portion 33 and two side members 34 and 35. The intermediate portion *33 has 4 spaced openings which engage the projecting pins 30. The pins are then heat sealed -to secure the frame thereto. The side members are provided with aligned openings lto `support a rotatable axle 36 on which the paddle wheels 38 are flxedly secured. Secured to the intermediate portion is a U-shaped support generally indicated at 40 having side members 41 and 42 and a bottom. The upper ends of the side members 41 and 42 have suitable ears which engage the intermediate portion 33 to secure the U-shaped "ice support 40 thereto. Side member 42 projects forwardly as at 44 and has an opening through which the axle 36 extends. A pinion 46 is tixedly secured 4on the -axle to rotate therewith. The pinion 46 is positioned between the side member 42 and side member 35. Side member 41 has la plurality of struck out ears 48 which are clamped to stationarily `secure an elongated pin 50. The end of the pin has a head 51. The pin is securely retained Iagainst rotation or longitudinal movement. The pin 50 rotatably supports a crown gear 52 having a collar 54.

A hollow tubular member 56 has one end rotatably supported on the pin 50 with the opposite end thereof extending through an opening 58 in the 4rear of the upper casing. A coiled spring 60 encircles the collar 54 and the tubular member 56 and has one end secured to the cro-wn gear by means of a screw 62 with the opposite end of the coiled spring anchored as at 64 to the tubular member 456. A windup knob I66 is iixedly secured to the end of the tubular member 56. The rear of the upper section adjacent the opening 58 has a surface provided with a plurality of cammed surfaces or teeth 68 and the inner surface of the windup knob 66 is provided with complementary cammed surfaces or 4teeth 70 for engagement with the teeth 68. The knob 66 operates as a clutch with respect to the surface 63.

Secured between side members 42 and 35 is a rotatable stub shaft 72 on which is xedly secured a pinion 74 and a gear 76. The crown gear 52 engages the pinion 74 to rotate same; in turn rotating gear 76 which meshes with pinion 46 to rotate the axle '36 on which the wheels 38 are secured.

The paddle wheels 38 are each formed of an outer plate or surface 7'8 which is shaped substantially like that of a vehicle wheel. The wheel has a hub 80 having an opening 82 whereby same is tted on the axle 36. A screw 84 on the hub 80 iixedly secures the wheel to the axle. The hub has a plurality of radial blades or iins y86, the -outer edges 87 of which extend to the periphery of the wheel.

The upper section 12 is provided at the rear end with a pair of openings 88 which communicate with the interior of the body and which are above the water level of the toy for venting or water drain. 'In the event water should get into the body then the water may be expelled through said opening by inverting the toy.

The operation of the toy will now be described. In winding up `the toy, the -wheel-s 38 are held with one hand and the windup knob 66 is rotated clockwise as viewed in Figs. l, 2 and 7. By rotating the knob clockwise the `teeth 70 thereof will over-ride the teeth 68 and the spring member 60 will be tensioned for the crown gear 52 will be held 'against rotation as follows: by holding the paddle wheels 38 against rotation the pinion 46 on the axle 36 remains stationary as does gear 76 and pinion 74 which is in mesh with crown gear 52. When the spring has been fully tensioned the windup knob 66 will be prevented from counterclockwise rotation by the engagement with the teeth 68. The toy is now ready to be operated. As soon as -the wheels 38 are released the `spring 60 will urge the crown gear 52 clockwise, rotating the pinion 74 and the gear 76 counterclockwise and pinion 46 clockwise, thereby rotating the wheels 3'8 clockwise thus propelling the toy. When the toy is placed on a surface ysuch as a floor, land or the like, the toy will be propelled forwardly until the spring has been expended. When same is placed in the water, the toy will be propelled forwardly by means of the blades 86 striking the water. The blades act as a governor.

We have provided a very simple and inexpensively constructed land and water vehicle which will afford a great deal of enjoyment and play value to the child.

While we have describen the toy as operated by a spring motor, it will be understood that -other means for propelling the toy may be used, such as rubber bands or a dry cell battery operated motor.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a combination land `and water vehicle comprising a body adapted to serve as a boat or as a land' motor vehicle, said body having the lower portion shaped in the form of a boat, an axle secured to said body and supporting a pair of paddle wheels, ysaid paddle wheels each having an outer plate `and a plurality of radial ns in wardly of said outer plate with said radial iins extending from the hub to the periphery of said wheel, a plurality of gears, including a crown gear mounted within said body for operating said axle, a rotatable windup shaft extending longitudinally and rearwardly of said body and rotatable with respect to said crown gear, a coiled spring around said windup shaft and having one end secured to said shaft and the other end to said crown gear, a windup knob secured to said windup shaft rearwardly of said body, said windup knob having a cammed `surface adapted to engage a cammed surface on the rear of said body to permit said windup knob and windup shaft `to rotate in one direction and locked against rotation in the opposite direction.

2. In a combination toy land and Water vehicle comprising a body adapted to serve as ak boat or as a land motor vehicle, said body having the lower portion shaped in the form of a boat, said body having a rear surface provided with -a plurality of teeth, an axle secured to said body and supporting a pair of paddle wheels, said paddle Wheels each having an outer closed surface and a plurality of radial ns inwardly of said outer closed surface with said radial n's extending from the hub to the periphery of said wheels, a plurality of gears for operating said axle mounted within said body, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally and outwardly of said body, a spring member around said shaft and having one end secured to said shaft and the other to one of said gears, a hand engageable knob secured on the end of said rotatable shaft and adapted to be rotated for rotating said rotatable shaft and Itensioning said spring member to rotate said gears to operate said paddle wheel-s and to propel said ltoy on land or water, said knob having teeth for engagement with the teeth of said rear body surface for permitting said knob to rotate in one direction and locking same against rotation in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,655 Bogner Apr. 27, 1886 1,144,850 Kingsbury June 29 1915 1,436,712 Heyman Nov. 28, 1922 1,609,211 Sladek Nov. 30, 1926 1,775,914 Parkhurst Sept. 16, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 356,888 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1931 

